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Can I apply for a Non-Immigrant B visa at the Thai Embassy in Singapore while holding a Non-Immigrant ED visa?

Non-Immigrant B Visa Non-Immigrant ED Visa Visa Application Process Visa Cancellation Thai Embassy Work Visa Expats in Thailand

Apr 5, 2024

2 years ago

Pierre *****

ORIGINAL POSTER

Dear members,

I am a bit confused by my visa situation and seeking your kind help, sorry if it has been asked before, but I searched and didn't find the answer...

I am currently holding a non-immigrant ED visa from Bangkok immigration office (thai language study). I have recently been offered a position by a company in Bangkok, therefore I would like to change my visa to non-immigrant B to start working in May.

My questions:

(i) the company is telling me that I should fly  to Singapore to apply at the Thai Embassy there in order to get the non-immigrant B visa. Can you confirm that it is possible to apply in Singapore as a simple tourist? As I am a French citizen I was thinking that only the Thai embassy in France could do it.

(ii) about the cancellation of the ED visa, I was told that I/the school should officially submit a cancellation request at the immigration office. But since it's a single entry visa, why can't I just fly out as I understood that it would cancel it automatically? Does anyone has experience about that point ?

Thank you so much for your help

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TLDR : Answer Summary

A user is inquiring about changing their Non-Immigrant ED visa, which was issued for studying Thai in Bangkok, to a Non-Immigrant B visa for employment in Bangkok. They ask whether it's possible to apply for the B visa at the Thai Embassy in Singapore and question the necessity for cancelling their ED visa, particularly if it can be automatically cancelled upon leaving Thailand. Community responses clarify that some companies require applicants to apply for the B visa outside Thailand for documentation ease, and that if they are on an original ED visa rather than an extension, the ED visa can indeed be cancelled by stamping out of the country.

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Tullio *******

Looks like you are not on an Ed Visa as you mention issued by Bangkok immigration office but on an extension of stay based on studying Thai. That means you entered with an Ed visa and then extended it in Bangkok. If this is the case you should be able to change the reason for the extension of stay from Ed to work without leaving the country, go to the immigration and ask them the correct procedure, in any case the Ed extension needs to be cancelled and then you apply for the new reason (employment), this is the rule.

2 years ago

Pierre *****

ORIGINAL POSTER

@Tullio ******

actually I am on the original ED visa and not on extension it stay (I entered on tourist TR visa and changed it to ED while in Bangkok) and never did any extension of stay

2 years ago

Pierre *****

ORIGINAL POSTER

Thanks for looking into it ~

This is the process I followed and they call it « in-country ED-visa application process » so I understood that it is indeed the initial visa and not an extension hence my confusion. I will talk to the school and to immigration as you recommended to clarify what is the best course of action

2 years ago

Tullio *******

@Pierre ****

you cannot get a visa from Bangkok immigration you get visas only from embassies abroad, I would assume your school provide proof that you are studying there and the Bangkok immigration gave you an extension of stay based on that, you would need to cancel that. But again to be certain go to bangkok immigration and present your case they will give you the best course of action.

2 years ago

Graham ******

@Tullio ******

Wrong, you can get various Non Immigrant Visas in country from Immigration but what you cannot get is a Tourist Visa

2 years ago

Tullio *******

I know that, they call them visas but they actually just short extension of stay to change the reason of stay in the country, basically it gives you the time to open bank accounts prepare everything for further extensions based on the new reason and its actually only if you have tourist visa to begin with. They are called visa for ease but if you see what a visa does it allows you to enter a country but it’s always up to the immigration office to stamp you in. What you get here is actually not a visa just a change of reason….

2 years ago

Reply to

Tullio *******

Pierre *****

ORIGINAL POSTER

Thank you both for your answers, super helpful!

2 years ago

Graham ******

If you are indeed on a Non-ED Visa and not an Extension of Stay it gets cancelled when you stamp out, an Extension of Stay needs to be cancelled. Most businesses will require you to apply for a Non-B Visa outside Thailand as it involves less documentation for them so do as they say.

2 years ago

Brandon ************

Check the embassy website and see what they say about non-B. Most companies have their employees leave Thailand to apply for non-B at a nearby Thai embassy.

Are you on the initial non-ED VISA, or are you on an extension of stay? If you're on the initial visa, you don't have to do anything. If the stamp in your passport says "extension of stay" then you must get documents from your school stating the date you will stop studying and take that to the immigration office that issued your extension to cancel it.

2 years ago

Reply to

Brandon ************

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Can I convert my NON B Ed visa to a NON B Work Permit visa while in Thailand?

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